THE CASE: On 20th March 2000,
the British High Commission in Singapore orally refused to renew my British
passport because I submitted a photograph of myself in hijaab. Telephone
conversations with high-ranking staff members of the consulate were to
no avail. I was flatly refused.

WHAT I DID:

I was tempted to submit a photograph
without my hijaab but decided that more than my hijaab, this is a matter
of principle and my rights as a citizen. For a week, I was lost and I did
not know who to turn to because there is no CAIR that caters to Muslims
outside of North America. I wrote to half a dozen organisations for advice
but only the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) replied.

1. I called the UK Passport Agency
(UKPA). They confirmed that I can submit a photo with hijab on as long
as my entire face can be seen.

2. I looked up the rights of a British
Citizen and noted that according to the Racial Equality Act of 1976, Muslim
women can be exempted from removing their scarves. Being forced to remove
their scarves can be labelled as Indirect Racial Discrimination according
to this Act.

3. I contacted the Islamic Human
Rights Commission (IHRC) and they replied. They promised me full legal
advice and backup as well as a public campaign if the British High Commission
refused me in writing.

4. I sent out a request to everyone
I know, for recently issued British passports with photos with hijaab.
Two separate persons contacted me with scanned images of passports issued
to his daughter/sister.

I wrote a letter to the British High
Commission stating the information gathered from my call to the UKPA as
well as including the scanned images of the two passports with hijaab photos.
My passport was issued within two weeks.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The British High Commission failed
to advise me of my rights as a British citizen. Surely they are aware that
Muslim women all over the UK are issued passports with hijaab photos but
they withheld this information from me. This could happen to you regardless
of which country you come from, with regards to your passport, driver's
licence, etc. Here is what you can do:

1. If you are in North America, you
can contact Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at e-mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
or website: http://www.cair-net.org
Recently, CAIR fought on behalf of a woman in Atlanta who was denied a
passport from the French Embassy there due to the same reason.

2. If you are outside North America,
you can contact Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) at e-mail: ihrc@dial.pipex.com
or website: http://www.ihrc.org
They are efficient and prompt in replying. They give legal advice and support
to great lengths, Muslims from all parts of the world.

3. Contact your local mosque or local
Muslims and request that they send you information to help your case. The
two brothers who sent me their daughter's/sister's passport were pivotal
to this case because I was able to challenge the Consulate's handling of
my case with direct evidence of double standards.

Don't let anyone tell you that you
cannot enjoy full rights as a citizen of a country because of your hijaab.
There is literally no country in the world that can deny you your rights
because of your hijaab. Fight for it.